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Book sales in Germany last year increased 3.2% compared to 2020 and 0.8% compared to 2019, according to the Börsenverein, the German book industry association. Totals include sales in the retail book trade, e-commerce including Amazon, train station bookshops, department stores, electronics stores and drugstores.
Citing widespread store lockdowns in the early months of 2019, the Börsenverein said that sales at bricks-and-mortar stores fell 3.1% in 2021 compared to 2020, and 11.5% compared to 2019. In a positive note, while at the end of April last year, bricks-and-mortar store sales were down 30.4% compared to the same period in 2019, by the end of the year they had recovered enough to be down 11.5%.
The strongest categories in 2021 were children's and YA books (up 9.4% compared to 2019), fiction (up 4.2%) and nonfiction (up 1.6%), though, as might be expected during the pandemic, sales for travel literature fell by 26.4%
"The book proved to be crisis-proof during the pandemic," said Börsenverein chair Karin Schmidt-Friderichs. "People have a great need for good stories, for reliable information, advice, and inspiration. To be sure, the months-long store closings at the beginning of the year as well as the decline in customer traffic in city centers was a major challenge to the local book trade. But the demand for books was high.
"Because of a great commitment, closeness to customers and the creativity of the bookstores and publishers, the book market was able to work its way out of the lockdown deficit month after month. Many, including small bookstores, benefited from growing online sales. This is good news considering the increasing costs of paper and energy that have grown significantly and will continue to affect the book industry in the new year."
The Booksellers Association reported that the number of independent bookshops in the U.K. and Ireland increased for the fifth consecutive year despite challenges brought by the pandemic. The Bookseller reported that according to figures released by the BA's annual survey, there were 1,027 shops "as active members at the end of 2021, the highest number since 2013, a year which followed two decades of decline. The figure was up from 967 in 2020, 890 in 2019, 883 in 2018 and 868 in 2017. In total 54 new bookshops opened in 2021, while 31 closed, resulting in a net gain of 23, the figures show."
Among the new openings were Afrori Books in Brighton, Book in Leighton Buzzard, Bookhaus and Gloucester Road Books in Bristol, DNA in Norwich, Folde in Dorset, Outwith Books in Glasgow, Rare Birds Books in Edinburgh, Storyville Books in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, the Athlone Bookshop in County Westmeath, the Ivybridge Bookshop in Devon, the Reading Tree in Northamptonshire and Upper Street Bookshop in London.
"After a challenging few years for the bookselling sector, it is reassuring to see the number of independent bookshops in BA membership grow for a fifth consecutive year," said BA managing director Meryl Halls. "The fact that the number of bookshops can increase in the face of lockdowns, restrictions and supply chain issues demonstrates the passion, innovation and determination of booksellers, who continue to bring books to readers even in the most challenging circumstances."
Halls also issued a note of caution: "While we celebrate this good news as we head into the new year, it is important to recognise the context for this growth. The high street is still in a precarious position, with potential disruption to retail activity and consumer confidence on the horizon, the playing field still skewed in the favour of tech giants, and supply chains causing issues across retail. While booksellers continue to be leaders on their high streets and main streets... they need to be supported in order to keep doing their important work."
Carolynn Bain, founder of Afrori Books, the first Black-owned bookshop in Brighton, said: "I guess like many other booksellers I wonder how we will ever make this work when we are purchasing books at such a high price and trying to compete with organizations that sell at the price we buy.... There is still some opposition to the shop's existence and this is most evident in comments on local news articles. We have seen a genuine interest from the community with people coming in and moved to tears that we are here.... The Facebook group for booksellers has been a great place to chat to other bookshop owners, but it can be a very isolating industry and I am very grateful to my family and all the volunteers that are there for me to bounce ideas off and who give such invaluable input... we are excited about the year ahead."
Posted recently on the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association Facebook page: "We are always sad to hear about an independent bookstore struggling with unforeseen circumstances--like the flood that has caused Coastal Bookstore [Port Moody, B.C.] to close after only three weeks in its new home! But we are inspired by the community members who step up to support these important businesses. If you are in a position to support Danica and Coastal Books, you can find the fundraising campaign here." --Robert Gray


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Cumberland Farms Goes Nachos for Cinco de Mayo
WESTBOROUGH, Mass. — Cumberland Farms is going nachos for Cinco de Mayo.
The Westborough-based convenience store retailer is offering customers a mobile coupon for $1 nachos — typically $2.59 — all weekend long while supplies last.
To get in on the deal, customers can text the word "CHOS" to 64827 starting Saturday, May 4 through Sunday, May 5 to receive the mobile coupon.
Any nachos order can be topped with pico de gallo, jalapeños and chili at no additional cost.
Nachos are the latest deal from Cumberland Farms, which recently celebrated National Pretzel Day with a special offer. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on April 26, customers who purchased any hot pretzel received a free Chill Zone beverage, which includes fountain drinks or HYPERFREEZE frozen beverages. No coupon was necessary, as Convenience Store News previously reported.
Cumberland Farms operates nearly 600 convenience stores across eight Northeast states.

domain: news


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— A Tesla crash in Texas in 2021 left first responders believing the 2019 Tesla Model S P100D electric car had no driver when the car crashed and burned, killing both occupants.
The April 2021 Spring, Texas, crash left local authorities baffled because the Tesla driver was found in the back seat while another occupant was found in the front passenger seat.
In a final report from the National Transportation Safety Board, investigators conclude the Model S did have a driver who was drunk when the car crashed and caught fire.
Investigators also concluded Autopilot was not engaged on the Tesla Model S at the time of the Texas crash.
Killed in the Model S crash were Dr. William Varner, the 59-year-old driver of the car, and engineer and passenger Everett Talbot, 69.
Home security camera footage showed both men entering the front driver and passenger seats of the Tesla Model S. The car traveled about 550 feet, exited the road on a left curve, then traveled over a right curb and hit a storm sewer inlet and raised manhole.
The Model S sideswiped one tree and slammed into a second tree. The Tesla caught fire after the crash damaged the front of the high-voltage lithium-ion battery case.
Federal investigators made note of the vacant front driver's seat following the crash, but the NTSB knows the driver's seat was occupied when the crash occurred.
"Although the driver’s seat was found vacant and the driver was found in the left rear seat, the available evidence suggests that the driver was seated in the driver’s seat at the time of the crash and moved into the rear seat postcrash. Specifically, residential security video showed both the driver and passenger getting into the front seats prior to driving away from the residence."— NTSB
The Tesla Model S event data recorder (EDR) data showed accelerator pedal inputs that matched the available evidence and also showed the driver's seat belt was connected when the crash occurred.
Investigators also found a damaged steering wheel, damage that occurred from the impact to the driver's body.
NTSB investigators found the accelerator pedal application was as high as 98.8% and the highest speed in the five seconds leading up to the crash was 67 mph. That was on a road with a 30 mph limit.
According to the NTSB, the probable cause of the 2021 Tesla Texas crash was excessive speed and losing control of the Model S from being drunk. Investigators also determined the alcohol effect was made worse because the driver had taken "two sedating antihistamines."
The driver's blood alcohol level was nearly double the legal limit in Texas.
As part of its final report, the NTSB mentioned the dangers created by electric car battery fires and how those fires can be extremely difficult to extinguish.
The NTSB has recommended standardized emergency response guides to help first responders with vehicles equipped with high-voltage lithium-ion batteries.


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Bloomberg reported today that Honda will fix a software flaw in about 90,000 Civic Hybrids sold in the U.S. that can cause their batteries to wear out sooner than expected.
For the past year, issues related to the Civic Hybrid battery have been discussed by numerous owners in the HybridCars.com Civic Hybrid forum.
Honda informed owners of model years 2006 through 2008 Civic Hybrids to bring the vehicles into dealerships so the software could be reprogrammed. Other model years do not need the repair, according to Honda. The repairs are being done as a �Stechnical service bulletin⬝ rather than a recall.
The batteries may deteriorate and fail much earlier than their warranty of at least eight years and 100,000 miles, Honda said.
Read More... [Source: HybridCars.com]


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RFID in Retail
RFID Report - Insights on Innovation
RFID in Retail
How to extract 95% more value from retail investment in RFID
From rocky road to retail gold: Top retailers share their secrets for success as RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) finally comes of age
● How RFID can reduce the annual stocktaking budget and save millions in audit costs
● How RFID can cut customer complaints by 90%
● How RFID can deliver record increases in customer Net Promoter Scores
As retailers and brand owners such as Inditex, Decathlon and Adidas continue to invest in RFID technology, a new report from the ECR Retail Loss Group (Utilising RFID in Retailing: Insights on Innovation) finds it’s no longer just for stock-taking. Now RFID is used at the checkout, and in the supply chain, to support store operations and logistic process efficiency.
Based on responses from 25 leading global retailers, the report identifies four stages of RFID maturity for businesses: from Basic to Leading Edge. It also demonstrates the opportunities ahead to use the technology to reduce waste.
“There was a lot of hype in the early days. RFID required a lot of cost, energy and effort. Now, tagging technology is much more reliable and cloud computing means retailers have capacity to manage high volumes of data,” says the ECR Retail Loss Group Academic Advisor, and the report’s author, Prof Adrian Beck.
The pandemic put a rocket under online shopping and, compared to pre-pandemic levels, it’s still on an upward trajectory as a proportion of sales. E-commerce will soon account for one-third of all apparel sales.
“Online consumers have little loyalty. Retailers need to deliver there and then, which means tracking and counting inventory better than ever before. RFID does it automatically and instantly. You don’t always have to rely on humans and a clear line of sight of the taggant/barcode.”
The report was commissioned by ECR Retail Loss based on its members’ needs. The ECR Retail Loss Group makes all its research free and available to the entire industry and identifies new tools, techniques and approaches to help retailers sell more and lose less.
It found that, despite many recent innovations, there remains huge untapped potential for the uses of RFID in retail.
“We probably use 5% of RFID’s capability…there’s lots of talk, plans and aspirations in the industry for what RFID can do but not a lot of evidence thus far.”
Managing stock levels
RFID frequently plays a key role in the audit process. When it was first introduced for stock counting, most (if not all) retailers chose not to rely on the RFID data for their annual counts and audits. The research found that is changing.
Now tracking goods via RFID can be both quicker, cheaper, and more frequent. Some retailers report that they have even abandoned the annual stocktake in favour of real-time RFID-based stock counts.
“We’ve achieved a significant saving on stocktaking; increasingly making annual stock takes redundant.”
“Year-on-year we’re saving a seven-figure number. It was never part of the original business case for RFID, so it’s a good development for us.”
Shipping and customer service
Manually collated online orders can lead to errors in the picking and packing process which in turn lead to increased returns and customer complaints.
One retailer interviewed for the report claims that using RFID to cross-check fulfilment led to a 90% reduction in incorrect orders and customer complaints.
“All e-comm orders use RFID – there is a check on outbound to make sure the product pick matches the customer order. This has led to a massive reduction in claims for incorrect orders and complaints – the number has dropped by at least 90%.”
“Customers are more tolerant of inconvenience and out-of-stocks when visiting a physical store than when shopping online.”
Smart fitting rooms
One interviewee reported an increase in customer satisfaction as a result of investing in RFID technology. Their smart fitting rooms scored the highest net promoter score (NPS) of any of their current customer-facing digital tools.
“The cost of RFID has come down, making it more cost-effective to use on a broader range of products and the business case does not have to be as robust as in the past.”
John Fonteijn, Chair of the ECR Retail Loss Group, says: “We’ve been reviewing the use of RFID since the early 2000s. It has a long history in retail. At times it’s been a rocky journey. But now, retailers investing in RFID are growing and developing how they use the technology.
“Our study brings together the ways retailers are innovating. And enabling RFID to add value to their businesses and in the right circumstances, this technology can deliver concrete benefits by improving inventory accuracy and providing valuable data.”
25 companies from Australia, Europe, and the USA took part in the ECR Retail Loss Group survey for the report. Thirteen retailers then supported further, in-depth interviews.
Businesses taking part include Adidas; C&A; Decathlon; Harvey Nicholls; Kurt Gieger; Lululemon; Marks & Spencer; River Island; Stadium; and Brunello Cucinelli.
All those interviewed recognised the potential for investing in omnichannel shopping, for which RFID is considered a key facilitator.
“We need to futureproof the business and therefore we need a proper omnichannel strategy.”
Read the full report here:
Jul 12, 2022
ECR Community a.s.b.l
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The FDA announced 16 brands, typically higher end lines advertising grain free foods, may be linked to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in canines. As I am not a vet or a scientist, I am not completely sure I am parsing the announcement correctly. Nevertheless, my impression is that their statement states the food itself is not bad or dangerous, rather that feeding dogs this food exclusively may not be a complete diet for a dog and lead to DCM. Is this assessment correct?
The announcement means they have found a correlation between DCM and dogs eating these types of foods. A correlation means simply that these two things tend to occur together, but it doesn't say anything about why or how.
"Between January 1, 2014 and April 30, 2019, the FDA received 524 reports of involving 560 dogs and 14 cats diagnosed with DCM. The FDA additionally received many reports of non-DCM cardiac disease in dogs and cats during this timeframe. To better understand the reported cardiac diseases, FDA investigated many of the DCM cases, as well as some of these non-DCM cardiac cases, by reviewing medical records and performing dietary and environmental exposure interviews."
This means the FDA reached the conclusion there was some correlation after receiving many reports, and doing an investigation into these reports to try to rule out other environmental factors. It would take actual experimentation, or medical studies to actually discern why such a correlation is occurring.
As your original article states, it's not even known exactly what the cause of DCM is, so no conclusion can be made at this time why this is so.
This announcement is meant to be taken as a warning that this food MIGHT be a cause of DCM, but it also might not be. If that worries you, then do not feed your dogs the foods in the list.
I will also note that "grain-free" is something of a recent fad diet for pets. Dogs and cats are known to be carnivores, and so people think feeding them grain is automatically bad, and advertising has picked up in this. The truth is food for dogs and cats, especially dry food, need some ingredients other than meat in order to bind the food together, and possibly to help getting the exact right balance of nutrition. Grain-free foods therefore contain other ingredients as a replacement for grains such as legumes or potatoes, which I'll point out is also counter to what people think dogs and cats should be eating. Although any of these foods could actually be being consumed by dogs and cats on a natural diet of prey animals, as these foods will possibly be in the stomach of the animals they eat. The FDA study simply shows grain-free foods are new enough that it isn't entirely known what kind of effect they have on pets.
In conclusion, while it cannot be said if grain-free is bad for pets, it's not necessarily better for pets either.


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Cambodia and Myanmar signed a memorandum of understanding on Saturday to promote the flow of national and third-country tourists to the temples of Angkor in Siem Reap and to the ancient city of Bagan in Myanmar.
The agreement was penned by Tourism Minister Thong Khon and U Onh Maung, Myanmar’s Minister of Hotel and Tourism, on the sidelines of the first International Cambodia Travel Mart (CTM) at the Sokha Hotel in Siem Reap.
Tith Chantha, secretary of state of the Ministry of Tourism, said the MoU aimed to strengthen and promote tourism cooperation between both nations, as well as boosting the flow of tourists between Cambodia and Myanmar, and from third countries.
“The MoU focuses on creating a single tourist destination, Angkor-Bagan, to attract tourists to the area for the benefit of both countries,” Mr Chantha said.
“We will also work to create direct flights from Bagan to Siem Reap.
“In addition, both sides will promote education and professional development in the industry, as well as the exchange of information and experience between both nations’ private and public sectors, particularly as it pertains to cultural tourism,” he added.
Ho Vandy, secretary-general of the Cambodian National Tourism Alliance, welcomed the agreement, which he said could expand Cambodia’s tourism market.
“It will boost tourist numbers between the two countries.
“It is a good model of development for the tourism industry, similar to what we already have with Thailand,” Mr Vandy said.
Revenue from ticket sales at the Angkor Archaeological Park reached $84 million during the first 10 months of the year, an increase of 71 percent compared with the same period last year, according to the latest report from Angkor Enterprise.
During the first nine months of 2017, Cambodia welcomed 3.5 million international tourists, a 12 percent increase year-on-year.


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Thailand’s industry confidence index continued to decline in August for eight consecutive months as investors remained worry of the sluggish economy.
Federation of Thai Industry (FTI) president Suphan Mongkolsuthee said the industry confidence index for the month August stood at 82.4 points, which is a continual decline for eight straight months in a row.He said the decrease is caused by worries on the sluggish domestic economy, the shrinking of domestic consumption, the lowering of produce prices, as well as the fragile global economy.
However he said entrepreneurs are now having high hopes that the new economic stimulus measures rolled out by the government currently would help stimulate more spending domestically.He said the private has suggested that the government should also come up with new measures to further reduce the taxation on the imports of machinery, along with creating new production factors to support SME businesses.
Car production rises 13%, but domestic sales drop 10%
The Thai Automotive Industry Association says car production last month rose by 13,% but sales in local market dropped.
The automotive club chairman of the committee on public relations Mr.Surapong Paisitpattanapong said automobile productions in August stood at 159,000 units, an increase of about 13 percent from the same period in the previous year.
He said that total vehicle productions in the past eight months currently stands at 1.26 million cars, 780,000 of which have already been exported.
He was confident that the target export of 1.2 million vehicles this year should be achieved as planned.
However he pointed out that domestic automotive sales remained low in the month of August, or 9.9 percent lower than last year’s figure during the same period.
He said that the targeted vehicle sales of at least 800,000 cars domestically for the year, would probably be missed.
Source: Thai PBS English News
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Thailand ranked 3rd in ASEAN, 9th among 40 Asia-pacific countries and 42nd in the World on the most recent on Economic Freedom index. Singapore tops the list for the second consecutive year, followed by New Zealand and Australia.
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Billboard and social media platform Twitter today announced an exclusive, multi-year partnership to create Billboard Twitter Real-Time Charts. The charts, which will launch in the coming weeks, will track U.S. music conversations among the millions of Tweets sent each day. Combining the authority of the Billboard charts and Twitter’s public, real-time data, these powerful co-branded charts will reshape for consumers and the industry the way music success is measured.
As part of the initiative, Billboard and Twitter have signed a Twitter Amplify partnership, which will help distribute the chart beyond Billboard.com and include custom in-Tweet charts and in-Tweet video round ups of the week in music on Twitter
The charts will reflect the top tracks being discussed at the moment and over an extended period of time on Twitter, as well as surface the most talked about and shared songs by new and upcoming acts. The chart will live on Billboard.com and will also be shared through Billboard’s Twitter account, @billboard, multiple times a week.
“Billboard has always been the standard by which music popularity is measured, and Twitter and its millions of users worldwide have added an entirely new dimension and pace to the way the marketplace interacts with, and evaluates, music and music-makers,” said Janice Min, Co-President/Chief Creative Officer of the Entertainment Group of Guggenheim Media. “The Billboard Twitter Real-Time Charts, a natural extension for media brands so in sync in the music space, stands to once again dramatically shape the conversation around the content and the business.”
“Twitter is where the music of the moment is discovered and discussed — every day, new songs and new artists are breaking on the platform,” said Bob Moczydlowsky, Twitter’s head of music. “We’re partnering with Billboard to create a ground-breaking chart to track the conversation around music as it happens. This means when artists share songs and engage with their audience on Twitter, the buzz they create will now be visible to fans, other musicians and industry decision makers in real-time.”
The Billboard and Twitter partnership brings to fruition the first-ever real-time charts on the Billboard platforms and is a continuation of Billboard’s integration of new media music consumption in its chart rankings. From the unveiling of the Social 50 artist chart in 2010, the expansion of song streaming data over the past few years, including Spotify and YouTube into the Hot 100, and the launch of streaming charts covering multiple genres, Billboard continues to be at the forefront in incorporating new technologies in its music rankings.
“Billboard is the number-one destination for vital industry news and analysis, and the place consumers around the world turn to for the best, and what’s next, in music,” says John Amato, Co-President of the Entertainment Group of Guggenheim Media. “This exciting Twitter partnership extends the Billboard value proposition that much further and deeper into the social media conversation that Twitter so effectively harnesses and drives. This will have tremendous impact on Billboard’s engagement with consumers and the marketplace.”
“Billboard has extensive experience building charts that are trusted by both the music industry and consumers which made them the perfect partner for us,” said Conway Chen, Director of Business Development at Twitter. “Twitter’s data is unique in that it represents a comprehensive view of the world’s conversation about anything and everything, including music. These charts will leverage our combined strengths to provide a reliable and unprecedented look into what music matters most to the public in any given moment.”
The Billboard brand is built on over 200 exclusive charts – the measure of success in music – that are constantly updated to reflect the changing music landscape. Billboard’s charts, led by the world-recognized Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums chart, as well as its content, are consumed and referenced by millions of people around the globe.
Twitter is a global platform for public self-expression and conversation in real time and is available in more than 35 languages and has more than 240 million monthly active users.


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Franchised dealers are getting comfortable buying used vehicles at online auctions.
“Franchised dealers embrace the Internet a lot more than independent dealers do,” says Robert Rauschenberg, managing director for Auction Broadcasting Co.
Online auctions are expanding, but cyberspace bidding and selling are in their infancy.
“Internet auctions are a bit dicey because it's early in the game,” Hal Logan, Manheim Auction's senior marketing vice president, tells the Auto Remarketing Forum Series.
He and Rauschenberg say dealers are getting more Internet-savvy.
“Earlier, because a dealer didn't see a car in person, he'd offer $9,000 rather than $10,000,” says Rauschenberg of online buying trends.
Don Meadows, as president of Auto Auction Services Corp., has spearheaded online auto auctioning for dealers.
But he says, “One of the areas where the Internet let us down is the lack of personalization.”
Hogan says Manheim sold 135,000 vehicles on line with a total value of $2 billion last year.
“Those are nice numbers, but small compared to overall auction sales,” he adds.
Still, Manheim in 1996 sold only 62 cars online with a value of $146,000.
Hogan says 30,000 dealers have access to Manheim's online auction, “so it's reaching critical mass.” The goal, he says, is 24/7 availability.
Online auctions will grow, especially as dealers become accustomed to them, says Greg Smith, CEO of Ford Credit, which uses auctions to remarket off-lease vehicles.
“Dealers have a lot of confidence about what a Manheim says about a vehicle being sold online,” says Smith. “In 99% of the cases, the dealers get what they thought they'd be getting.”


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ZEISS Announce 6% Revenue Increase In Half-Year Financial Results
Overall, the first six months of fiscal year 2019/20 (ended 31 March 2020) went well for the ZEISS Group. It saw its revenue rise by 6 percent to EUR 3.213 billion (first six months of 2018/19: EUR 3.019 billion). 90 percent of this sum was generated by markets outside Germany. At EUR 455 million, earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) were slightly higher than the previous year (EUR 443 million). The EBIT margin was at 14.2%. Incoming orders hit EUR 3.601 billion (1st six months of 2018/19: EUR 3.161 billion).
“Overall, we were successful during the first half of the fiscal year. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the global economy – including on ZEISS’ lines of business,” said Dr. Karl Lamprecht, ZEISS President and CEO. He continued: “ZEISS’ resilience measures will help it combat the current challenges in the best possible way.”
In the first half of the year, the four segments of the ZEISS Group developed according to different dynamics.
In the Industrial Quality & Research segment, the Industrial Quality Solutions area felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic due to weak development in the automobile industry. In the past fiscal year ZEISS acquired GOM (Germany), a leading supplier of hardware and software for optical 3D coordinate metrology. This enabled ZEISS to generate further growth potential in surface measurement and digitalization.
|Revenue (in EUR million)|
|1st six months
|1st six months
|Industrial Quality & Research||865||820||+5% (-7%)|
Many predict that the COVID-19 pandemic will result in considerable challenges for the global economy. ZEISS is now also feeling the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and a decline in its business – to differing extents at the regional and segment levels. However, thanks to a package of measures launched early on, ZEISS has been able to navigate its way through the COVID-19 crisis. ZEISS is now consistently pursuing this program of measures.
At this time it is not possible to make a reliable prediction for the 2019/20 fiscal year due to the global uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a decline in revenue and EBIT is to be expected during the second half of the fiscal year.
“This is the time for stability – particularly with regard to providing our customers with the best possible service. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic requires a high level of flexibility and a concerted effort from all employees,” says Lamprecht. “Moreover, we are already thinking about life after the COVID-19 pandemic so that we, as an innovative company, can better leverage the opportunities to emerge from this situation even stronger.” Since launching its comprehensive packages of measures to combat the COVID-19 crisis, ZEISS believes it is stable and well-structured due to its portfolio – which is aligned with megatrends – as well as its strong market position, international setup and strategic investment for the future.
For more information: www.zeiss.com


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She calls her startup Rapunzel, and for good reason: Angela Christiano is working on growing a full head of hair in the lab.
Christiano, a researcher at Columbia University, has a condition known as alopecia areata, which leads to sudden and substantial hair loss. And she’s not satisfied with the treatments on the market: There are just two approved drugs for hair loss, and both are more than 20 years old.
So she’s trying a radically new approach — turning a patient’s own stem cells, which in theory can convert into any type of cell in the body, into hair that could then be transplanted to cover bald patches.
Christiano’s work — she’s also got a second startup, taking an entirely different tack — reflects a burgeoning interest in the biotech community in treating hair loss as a medical condition. The problem has traditionally been treated as a cosmetic issue, so it’s drawn less attention than dire diseases like cancer. But scientists are now tackling the problem in several novel ways — though experts caution that false starts are inevitable and it’ll be a while before new products hit the market.
“Hair is hot right now,” said Dr. Melissa Piliang, a dermatologist at Cleveland Clinic. “But it’s hard to grow hair.”
Several forms of hair loss impact both men and women. The most immediately devastating kind is alopecia areata — a rare condition in which the immune system attacks hair follicles, causing huge swaths of hair to fall out en masse. Another is androgenetic alopecia — a genetic form of hair loss seen in both men and women, often starting at a relatively young age.
Then there’s run-of-the-mill hair loss due to aging, which also affects both genders. Half of all women experience some form of hair loss, especially after menopause, and it can cause great turmoil. “Women feel they shouldn’t lose their hair, and have an enormous amount of emotional anxiety about it,” Piliang said.
The two hair loss drugs on the market now are Propecia and Rogaine, or minoxidil, which is the only approved treatment for women, and which now comes in purple-and-teal packaging marketed for female patients. (Propecia alters hormonal levels so powerfully that pregnant women are advised to not even touch the pills.) Given that Americans spend $3.5 billion a year on hair loss products — most of which don’t work at all — there’s huge financial incentive to develop something new.
So, what’s in the works?
Samumed, a San Diego startup that shot to the spotlight this year with ambitious claims that it’s inventing drugs to reverse aging, is working on baldness as well as diseases such as osteoarthritis and pancreatic cancer. Samumed’s approach targets a molecular signaling channel known as the WNT pathway, which plays an important role in hair growth. The company says it does not interfere with hormones — a major concern in developing hair growth products for women.
The company has already conducted two Phase 2 trials for male pattern baldness. In one trial with more than 300 patients, participants who took a low dose of the drug showed a nearly 10 percent increase in hair count over 135 days. Those taking placebos continued to lose hair. The study has not been published or peer-reviewed; the company presented the results this spring at a meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.
So far, the drug has been tested only in men; testing the drug in women is part of Samumed’s “long-term plan,” but the company has to discuss it first with the Food and Drug Administration, said Dr. Yusuf Yazici, chief medical officer of Samumed. “Androgenetic alopecia is a bigger disease in men — more patients are affected by it,” he said.
Growing rat hair ‘like it’s no tomorrow’
Christiano is taking a different approach — or, actually, two different approaches.
Her startup Vixen Pharmaceuticals worked to develop a hair loss drug from so-called JAK inhibitors, which tamp down the activity of a class of enzymes called janus kinase. Two JAK inhibitors have been approved by the FDA — not for baldness, but for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and a type of skin cancer called myelofibrosis. Both are used off-label for other autoimmune conditions — including hair loss.
Vixen was acquired a few months ago by Pennsylvania-based Aclaris Therapeutics; the company intends to develop JAK inhibitors to treat hair loss. (Regarding that name: “Vixen,” of course, is the term for female fox — and, as Christiano noted, the word “alopecia” means “mangy fox” in Greek.)
With her second startup, Rapunzel, Christiano aims to solve a big problem in hair transplant surgery: It requires removing hair from one part of the body to transplant it elsewhere. But there’s only a finite amount of hair to harvest from one’s own body.
That’s why she wants to grow hair in the lab.
The challenge, to date, has been getting scalp stem cells to turn into actual hair follicles — for years, scientists could only get them to morph into standard fibroblasts, which are cells that create generic connective tissue. Christiano’s lab has now found that it can grow actual hair on a 3-D scaffold of tissue culture medium doused with a mix of growth factors.
“Rat hair, that is — we can grow rat hair like it’s no tomorrow,” Christiano said. “But we think we can do it with human hair, too.”
Hair restoration surgeon Dr. Joseph Greco thinks Christiano is headed in the right direction.
“The race to the moon is the multiplication of hair,” Greco said. “To be able to have an inexhaustable supply. … That’s coming in the next five to 10 years.”
On top of standard hair transplantation surgery, Greco offers a technique called “platelet rich plasma,” or PRP, which is meant to stimulate growth in lazy hair follicles. Seven out of 10 of his hair loss customers are women.
Greco’s team draws a patient’s blood, spins it in a centrifuge to extract the plasma, isolates growth factors from the platelets, adds nutrients, then re-injects the mixture into patients’ scalps. It costs about $1,600 for the first treatment, then a bit less for follow-on visits — recommended every six months to a year.
Greco participated in a 2014 pilot study of 64 women that found PRP showed promise in treating androgenetic hair loss, but the procedure has not been formally tested in a randomized clinical trial.
Not waiting for a miracle cure
For all the excitement around the new approaches, scientists also raise a note of caution. They remember the enthusiasm more than a decade ago when a new gene controlling what’s called the “sonic hedgehog” pathway was discovered — and showed promise in treating hair loss. New companies began to spring up around the hedgehog approach — until it hit an important snag.
“They found that the ‘Sonic The Hedgehog’ pathway was also involved in skin cancer — so that kind of dampened a lot of the enthusiasm of using drugs for hair growth,” Christiano said.
Lauren Engle, a Dallas mother of two, isn’t waiting around for a miracle cure. When she was pregnant with her first child, Engle “lost a ton of hair,” she said. She’s tried Rogaine and spironolactone, which is used off-label for hair loss, but came off the drugs because of their potential harm during her childbearing years.
Engle writes a blog, “Corner of Hope and Mane,” and sends out a regular newsletter to some 3,500 women, providing tips on how to “wear hair,” and cope with the stigma and depression associated with women’s hair loss.
“It’s devastating for a lot of people,” Engle said. “Hair can be the crowning jewel of women’s appearance — of their female identity.”
This is really helpful and informative. I was searching for a quick solution for hair loss. My wife is suffering from hair loss problem for a long time. She is frustrated and depressed. I just want her smile. I guess I’m lucky to have this post on the search. Thanks for sharing the guideline with us. I appreciate it.
It is no surprise that hair loss can become a physically as well as emotionally challenging situation for a person. Losing up to 100 strands of hair in a day is normal. It becomes a problem when the hair starts thinning or bald patches begin to appear or the person completely loses his hair. This can give rise to a situation, known as alopecia. There are certain drugs available that can help to manage the alopecia condition. I have found an amazing informative article entitled” Alopecia and its Most Common Drug List” at zovon.
If you stop using rogaine.l heard it falls out is it true
I read that is true. I used it for 6 months and did not really see any difference in my hair growth, it also did not stop the shedding either
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Don’t Just Watch Kraft’s Super Bowl LII Commercial … Be In It
First-time Super Bowl advertiser Kraft will give the spotlight to real families on Game Day to champion how they family greatly
For just about everyone, there’s never been an opportunity to be in a Super Bowl commercial, in front of 111 million fans. Until now.
Today, Kraft announced in a teaser video it is giving the spotlight to real families instead of celebrities in its first-ever Super Bowl commercial … which means YOU could be in it. The ad will be made in real time, with photos and videos shared on social media on Game Day. This “family-generated content” will show up in a 30-second commercial that will air during the second half of Super Bowl LII on NBC.
On Sunday, February 4, show Kraft how YOU family— capture how you dance, how you snuggle, how you cheer. Share your photos and videos on Game Day between 6 a.m. EST and 8:30 p.m. EST via Twitter or Instagram with #FamilyGreatly + #KraftEntry for a chance to appear in Kraft’s Super Bowl commercial.
“We’re excited to give families center stage in our Super Bowl commercial,” said Anne Field, director of brand building for Kraft. “We’re calling on all families, families like yours—however you define it—to show us all the great ways you family. Because as long as you do it with love and conviction, there’s no one right way to family.”
Kraft initially unveiled its new brand purpose in December 2017, championing everyone’s right to #FamilyGreatly. Between January 29 and February 4, Kraft will also support #FamilyGreatly with a social, digital and broadcast media campaign, including a pre-game TV ad that will air right before kickoff to invite families to participate.
Since JL Kraft first began selling cheese in 1903, the brand has expanded throughout the years from Kraft Natural Cheese to include Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Kraft Singles, Kraft Mayo, Kraft Salad Dressing, and Kraft BBQ Sauce. Today the brand continues to offer products that help bring the whole family together with foods that please everyone at the table.
About The Kraft Heinz Company
The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ: KHC) is the fifth-largest food and beverage company in the world. A globally trusted producer of delicious foods, The Kraft Heinz Company provides high quality, great taste and nutrition for all eating occasions, whether at home, in restaurants or on the go. The Company’s iconic brands include Kraft, Heinz, ABC, Capri Sun, Classico, Jell-O, Kool-Aid, Lunchables, Maxwell House, Ore-Ida, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Planters, Plasmon, Quero, Smart Ones and Velveeta. The Kraft Heinz Company is dedicated to the sustainable health of our people, our planet and our Company. For more information, visit www.kraftheinzcompany.com.


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Technology and creativity are often at loggerheads in advertising. More often than not, tech has been the preserve of the ad targeting crowd. But more examples are happening when technology is used as a critical tool in creativity.
Grey Spain has shown the way with a campaign for Aid to Children and Adolescents at Risk Foundation to raise awareness of child abuse. The brief for the campaign was to speak both to adults and children — no easy feat. Grey used a “lenticular top layer” to create outdoor ads that changed based on the perspective you were viewing them from. This allowed for an execution that shows a sad child image to those over 4’ 5” while those under that height see bruises on the child’s face. Adults see copy reading, “Sometimes, child abuse is only visible to the child suffering it.” Children see, “If somebody hurts you, phone us and we’ll help you.” This allows the child to see the message even when accompanied by his abuser.
It’s a powerful message that’s enabled by technology, rather than overwhelmed by it. The evidence is in the Youtube case study of it, which has already been viewed more than 3.5 million times since it was uploaded on April 24. (Via Gizmodo)
U by Kotex believes normalizing periods will help it reach millennials, Gen Z
U by Kotex is looking to continue with recent streaming ads, digital spots, banner ads, shopper marketing and influencer partnerships focused on “Normalizing Periods.”
How the push for anti-‘woke’ advertising could create controversy for brand startups
As some push back on inclusive marketing, startups with more to lose sound off.
Digiday+ Research Briefing: CMO Strategies — How marketers’ social platform budgets stack up
In this week's Digiday+ Research Briefing, we share focal points from Digiday's recently released reports on how marketers’ social platform budgets stack up, and how agencies are feeling less pessimistic about the death of the third-party cookie.
SponsoredWhat the measurement and currency discussion really means to TV advertisers
Ali Mack, head of TV and agency, Experian Major streaming video providers have recently made headlines by adopting new currencies for ad measurement, threatening Nielsen’s long-standing TV ratings monopoly. NBCUniversal, for example, has certified iSpot and VideoAmp as currencies for advanced audiences and formed the Joint Industry Committee with Paramount, TelevisaUnivision and Warner Bros. Discovery. […]
With TikTok star Keith Lee, Pepsi hopes to draw Gen Z to Black-owned restaurants
Pepsi is teaming up with TikTok food reviewer Keith Lee to promote the best Black-owned restaurants with a focus on Gen Z.
Can Meta remain the ‘holy grail of paid advertising’ with challenges, challengers and Advantage+?
With more competitors and less solutions, advertisers sound off on Meta's social ad dominance.


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According to Tuesday's Livestock, Dairy and Poultry report, milk production for the current year was reduced fractionally in September from the August forecast to 199.9 billion pounds. The production forecast for 2013 was unchanged from August at 198.9 billion pounds. Dairy cow number forecasts for both 2012 and 2013 remain unchanged from August at 9,215- and 9,110- thousand head, respectively.
The dairy cow slaughter rate and the prices of replacement heifers suggest a continued gradual decline in the dairy herd through 2013. The reduced milk production forecast for 2012 is based on lower forecast milk per cow of 21,690 pounds. Lower milk per cow is expected in the third and fourth quarters of this year due to high summer temperatures that likely adversely affected milk yields as well as tight alfalfa supplies. Yield per cow is forecast at 21,830 pounds for 2013, unchanged from August’s forecast. The slight yield increase next year is largely based on expected larger forage supplies.
The 2012/13 price forecast for corn was lowered from August’s projection to $7.20- $8.60 per bushel. Despite a slightly lowered corn yield forecast from August, higher estimated carryin stocks and a lowered export forecast are resulting in larger domestic supply estimates than were made earlier.
The soybean meal price was increased for 2012/13 to $485-$515 per ton. This is due to a lower soybean crush forecast for 2012/13 as soybean ending stocks are projected to reach a 9-year low. The August Agricultural Prices report places the preliminary August price for alfalfa hay at $203 per ton, up slightly from last month and up from August 2011. Higher milk prices in 2013 will help offset higher feed prices.
Milk equivalent imports on a fats basis are unchanged from August at 3.7 billion pounds for 2012 and 3.6 billion pounds in 2013. Imports on a skims-solids basis were raised from August estimates to 5.7 billion pounds for 2012 and to 5.0 billion pounds in 2013. Strong imports of casein to date are the basis for the import boost. The higher pace of casein imports is expected to continue into 2013.
Export forecasts remain unchanged from August. Current-year exports are forecast at 9.8 billion pounds, fats basis, and 33.4 billion pounds, skims-solids basis. For next year, milk equivalent exports are forecast at 8.9 billion pounds on a fats basis and 32.5 billion pounds on a skims-solids basis. U.S. nonfat dry milk (NDM) exports are ahead of 2011, but slowed sharply in July.
Seasonally rising production and exports from Australia and New Zealand are expected to offer increased competition to U.S. exporters for the remainder of the year, dampening prospects of increasing export forecasts. On a fats basis, butter exports have lagged 2011 yearto- date, but cheese exports have been well ahead of 2011, offsetting butter.
Price forecasts were raised in the September forecast. Demand remains firm, while production is likely to decline in coming months. Cheese prices were raised from August to $1.650-$1.670 per pound this year and are unchanged for 2013 at $1.640- $1.740 per pound. Butter prices were raised for 2012 to $1.565-$1.605 per pound but lowered slightly for next year to $1.510-$1.640 per pound.
Weaker demand for butter will lead to higher fats basis stocks and softening prices next year. NDM prices are expected to be higher in 2012 at $1.275-$1.295 per pound and $1.350-$1.420 per pound next year, unchanged from August. Similarly, whey prices were raised to 56.5-58.5 cents per pound for the current year and unchanged from August for 2013 at 57.0-60.0 cents per pound.
Milk prices reflect the pricing in the underlying products.
The Class III price is forecast higher than August for 2012 at $16.75-$16.95 per cwt and unchanged for 2013 at $16.70-$17.70 per cwt. The Class IV price is projected higher at $15.45- $15.75 this year and is lowered from August to $15.85-$16.95 per cwt next year. The lower 2013 price reflects the softer butter prices next year. The all milk price was raised from August to $17.80-$18.00 per cwt and raised for 2013 to $17.85- $18.85 per cwt.


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Arkansans file nearly two-thousand identity theft complaints annually, according to the latest Federal Trade Commission Sentinel Report.
The Arkansas Attorney General's Office has issued more than 500 ID theft passports to victims of identity theft. It's no wonder that many consumers are thinking about identity theft insurance, but, is it something they need?
Dr. Laura Connerly,a personal finance expert who works with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service in its Family and Consumer Sciences section, answers our questions about identity theft insurance.
She encourages everyone to work to protect their identity and says if you do buy ID theft insurance, be sure you understand what the policy covers.
She also shares tips on how to respond to ID theft.


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Assuring the top CEO’s of United States of America, Prime Minister Modi said that his government at centre will ensure ease of doing business for those keen on investing in India.
Saying that the world needs a new engine of growth, especially a democratic country like India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that India will contribute as a new engine of global growth and it will serve the world to get multiple benefits. PM was addressing the American business community at the annual gala of the US India Business Council (USIBC) in United States.
“Today India is poised to contribute as a new engine of global growth. A larger Indian economy has multiple benefits for the world,” said the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister said as he listed out the achievements of his government in economic reforms and liberalization of policies. ‘ This is the time when the world needs new engine of growth. It would be nice if the new engines are democratic engines,’ said Modi.
India has now emerged as the one of the fastest growing economies of the world and urged the American businesses to come and invest in India, set up efficient manufacturing units.
“India is much more than a market,” he said, adding that it is a “reliable partner”, as he listed out the key features of a resurgent Indian economy that is geared to become “driver of global economy”.
The Prime Minister said as India marches ahead on the path of development, it needs to learn from the America experience, in particular its entrepreneurship, technological advancement and products which ranges from drugs to drones. “Indeed, to me America is not just has a great past, but it is a country with an exciting future,” the Prime Minister said.
Modi exuded confidence that Indo-US partnership would benefit both the countries.
Modi said his government has taken decisive steps to curb corruption. “We would continue to have disciplined and prudent


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Aid-receiving India in some choppy waters
Northern Ireland households would soon notice if the ships that bring our imports of food, consumer goods and fuel failed to arrive at a UK port every day.
The world’s seas have a number of narrow choke-points, such as the Strait of Hormuz, and some are very close to rogue states and unstable governments.
The UK will be lucky if sea trade remains uninterrupted, given the manifold troubles in the Pacific Ocean, the Horn of Africa, the Gulf and the eastern Mediterranean. News that India is to buy three warships at a cost of £1bn brings sharply into focus that the UK gives £280m a year in aid to India.
As the Royal Navy has insufficient frigates to play its full part in safeguarding the world’s sea lanes, why not spend that money on a new frigate every year instead of giving it to India?
Lieutenant-Commander RN (retired)
To email your letter to the Editor click here


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Two gadgets enter the ring, but only one can leave the champion! Each week Brian Tong pits two compe
From smart locks to smart lights, here's the best in smart home tech.
Cree's new $25 three-way LED bulb can simulate 30W, 60W, and 100W incandescents.
Samsung's Video Discovery app is like an uber version of its Smart Remote app, with a much more powerful and useful search feature.
Pricing not available
Price-conscious users will dig the LG Expression 2's competitively low price, but AT&T has other feature phone alternatives that are worth the extra dough.
Panasonic introduced two new streaming-video boxes at CES 2013, with the high-end model supporting the full Viera Connect suite of streaming-media services.
As expected, Skype announced a solution to two-way video chats on Android. It simply bought up the competition. We have the details here.
While Skype is nowhere near first to wave the video calling banner, waiting may not have been a bad move. For a player this major, quality and timing are everything.
Mobile and tablets now represent over 21 percent of all online video plays, up from 3.4 percent two years ago.
MatchCut lets you follow a step-by-step process for turning your video clips into dramatic movies with a musical backdrop.
DC Entertainment releases two video clips that set the stage for the show's TV debut this fall.
FaceTime competitor Fring has two cards up its sleeve, one of which is the capability to make two-way video calls over not only Wi-Fi, but also 3G.


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Clint Rivers, the current the CEO of Wayne Farms, will lead Wayne-Sanderson Farms.
“The new company is ideally positioned to continue to serve customers and consumers with high-quality and affordable products,” Rivers said in a news release.
As a result of the transaction, Sanderson Farms’ shares will no longer trade on the NASDAQ starting Friday.
Joe F. Sanderson, Jr., the company’s president and the grandson of its founder, said in a news release that it had been an honor to lead his family’s business.
“I am proud of all we have achieved together, and I am confident that the fairness, honesty and integrity that has been synonymous with the Sanderson Farms name will carry on with Wayne-Sanderson Farms,” he said.


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A Bahrain delegation comprising representatives from hotels, tour companies and travel agencies, will participate at the ATM.
The government delegation will be headed by assistant under-secretary for Tourism Mubarak Al Atwi. Gulf Air will also have a substantial presence at the ATM, where the airline will unveil its new livery and launch a new all-economy class airline.
The ATM is scheduled for May 6 to 9. Bahrain participates in the event for the tenth consecutive year, said Al Atwi. The Bahrain stand will promote extensively the forthcoming healthcare exhibition in September, the Formula One project and the Riffa Golf Club.
Besides four officials from Tourism Affairs, more than 50 representatives from various tour companies and travel agencies will also represent Bahrain at the ATM, the under secretary said.
Gulf Air will have a very visible and attractive presence at the mart. Gulf Air's new livery will be unveiled at the stand. The new all-economy class airline, will also be launched during the ATM. The airline is scheduled to start commercial operation as a division of Gulf Air from Abu Dhabi in June.
The French hotel group Accor announced that it would celebrate its 20th anniversary at the ATM. The hospitality group will stage the Middle East launch of its "Privileged Guest" loyalty cards for its luxury brand "Sofitel Hotels and Resorts" comprising 160 hotels in 53 countries.
TTN is the most established trade publication in the Middle East distributed on a controlled circulation basis to members of the travel and tourism industry.
Published monthly by Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group, the region’s foremost trade publisher, TTN is aimed at professionals in the industry, from travel agents to airline and hotel personnel.
TTN provides in-depth and extensive coverage of relevant issues in the Middle East and North Africa as well as in other parts of the world. Travel related news, analysis, and new appointments together with information on up-coming exhibitions, marketing and promotional campaigns are presented in an innovative and striking colour tabloid.
Every issue also contains a collation of international and regional news and topical features of interest to readers.


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Sony execs used old BlackBerrys found in a basement after getting hacked
See the original posting on The Verge
With its computer systems crippled worldwide, Sony executives did what any of us would do: turn to simpler technologies to get them moving again. According to The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, that tech included notepads, a manual paycheck machine, and also a stash of BlackBerrys found in Sony’s basement. The BlackBerrys were handed out to Sony executives, who used them to start emailing once again thanks to the fact that the BlackBerrys were still set up to use their own server, rather than Sony’s hacked one. They were also used to send out updates to the company’s staff over text messages, which made their way down through the organization over a phone tree that was thrown together.
Sony executives initially saw the hack…


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QVC, HSN merging to battle Amazon
NEW YORK – QVC and Home Shopping Network, two of the most famous Home TV poles combine to show more aggressive growth by Amazon (AMZN) and consumption patterns by switching to Internet sales.
Interactive Freedom (QVCA), owner of QVC and already has 38 percent of HSN, will buy the rest of the Home Shopping Network for about $ 2.6 billion in a stock agreement.
The purchase comes a few months after the release of Mindy Grossman as CEO of HSN to take the reins of weight watchers. Under Grossman, HSN has worked to build its presence in e-commerce and become a lifestyle network.
It is now called half of its e-commerce business volume with more than 50,000 products on its website and broadcast to more than 90 million homes.
QVC and Home Shopping Network have faced weak sales because Amazon dominates online shopping.
“They’re a little late in the arena dancing online, but they do now,” said Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, a retail research consultancy.
A key focus will be to offer exclusive and patented products for essential value. Otherwise, he said, competitors, including Amazon and Walmart, will be hard to beat online.
“It was a difficult time,” admitted Rod Little, chief financial officer and interim director HSN during a conference call Thursday to discuss the case. “We’re not satisfied with performance. That’s part of the reason we’re here today, I guess.”
Libertad, which has a stake in HSN since 2009, said buying the rest of the company would increase the combined company’s e-commerce capabilities, reduce costs and provide marketing opportunities, among other benefits.
“Increasing the scale of this combination will allow us to compete more effectively, we think, in a retail and digital environment evolving and changing,” said Greg Maffei, CEO of Freedom.
Combined, companies will serve nearly 23 million customers worldwide and ship over 320 million packages a year, said Mike George, President and CEO of QVC. QVC is stronger in fashion and beauty, said, while HSN in areas such as electronics, exercise and health.
George said the combined company will generate online sales of $ 7.5 billion and 4.7 billion mobile sales, which rank behind Amazon and Walmart (WMT) in terms of dollar value e-commerce transactions.
“By combining companies, we believe we can accelerate innovation, enhance customer experience, increase customer value and put us in an even stronger position to help shape and direct the generation of shopping in the country,” George, who will lead the combined company on duty.
Consumable brands include Home Shopping Network Home Furnishings Frontgate Provider and Home Decor Garnet and Garnet Hill. Properties include QVC clothing seller Zulily and invitation site Avoid online.
Libertad, based in Englewood, Colorado, will issue 53.4 million common shares of Series A QVC shareholders to HSN. He said Thursday that this is equivalent to paying $ 40.36 per share for HSN Inc. of St. Petersburg, Florida.
It would be a premium of 29% for the population. Shares of HSN increased $ 10.30 or 33%, to stand at $ 41.60 in morning trading.


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The Zero Emissions Vehicle Strategy sets out a range of actions from 2022 to 2030 to allow zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV) to become more affordable and accessible for all ACT residents.
Two of the most significant actions include the commitment to ensuring 80-90% of new cars sold by 2030 are ZEVs alongside the plan to phase out petrol and diesel engine vehicles from 2035.
Shane Rattenbury, ACT Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction, said the territory will have one of the most ambitious ZEV sales targets in the world of 80-90% by 2030.
"This strategy sets our territory up, so we can support the investment and the technology innovation when it becomes available, making it easier and more accessible for people to transition to ZEVs at a time that is right for them," Mr Rattenbury said.
"We’ve just ticked over 2,000 EV cars registered in the ACT, so we know Canberrans are keen to move towards these new vehicles."
To further boost the shift to zero-emissions, stamp duty waivers will be introduced under the strategy for buyers of used electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles purchased from 1 August 2022.
The ACT Government anticipates this will cut the cost of an average second-hand ZEV by around $1,600.
Already the government offers zero-interest loans for the uptake of zero-emissions vehicles.
Electric Vehicle Council Chief Executive Behyad Jafari said the ACT Government is ensuring Canberrans aren’t dumped with old fossil fuel guzzlers as the rest of the world goes electric.
"The ACT Government is making the tough reform decisions now to ease an inevitable transition that’s only a decade away,” Mr Jafari said.
“42% of the world’s car market have incoming bans on light combustion engines, while 16 car makers are phasing out petrol and diesel cars. Five years ago, both those numbers were zero. Can you imagine what the world will look like five years from now?”
Electric vehicle sales continue to tick over
Data released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) for June revealed the number of electric cars sold in the month was more than double the amount sold in the same period last year, with 1,137 compared to 526.
Factoring in June data, sales of electric vehicles for the year currently sits at 9,680 despite ongoing supply shortages.
Across the same six-month period in 2021, a total of 2,217 electric vehicles were sold - a growth of 336%.
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Image by Severin Demchuk via Unsplash
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Learn everything you need to know about buying property – from choosing the right property and home loan, to the purchasing process, tips to save money and more!
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Every new generation of cellular technology is a major opportunity for device vendors and their suppliers to grow their mind share and market share by being first to market. 5G is no exception, and companies using MIPI interface specifications have a big head start.That’s because all relevant MIPI specifications already meet 5G system requirements through 2021 and beyond for a wide variety of 5G devices, starting with smartphones. In fact, in summer 2018, several major manufacturers began using MIPI specifications for their initial 5G devices, such as the ubiquitous MIPI CSI-2, MIPI DSI-2, and MIPI RFFE specification to connect RF front-end devices to 5G modems.
MIPI welcomed more than 230 participants to MIPI DevCon Seoul on 19 October for a day of presentations, demos and information sharing among leaders in the mobile and mobile-influenced industries.
In conjunction with the MIPI Member Meeting #49 in Seoul, the Sensor Working Group hosted the MIPI I3C® Interop Workshop on 15-16 October. The event drew 19 representatives from eight member companies.
"MIPI's I3C workshops help members ensure interoperability of their components, improve product quality, speed the development process and optimize the manufacturability of their designs,” said Ken Foust, chair of the MIPI Alliance Sensor Working Group. "Participants regard these events as an essential step in the product development process because the testing and debugging activities take place in real-world system integration environments."


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This software allowed you to access a huge library of free articles that you can post on your sites with no fear of copyright infringement. Thousands of people using this system which is leading online article spinner and content rewriting tool.
The Digital Diagnosis New digital health diagnosis infographic created by MDG Advertising comprehensively outlines how the lines between the healthcare industry and consumer electronics continue to blur with each passing year.
Infographic: The Link Between Digital Health and Self Diagnosing mHealth infographic health ~NHS supply chain & Healthcare Personnel Supplies - high calibre salaried and locum staffing - Doctors, Nurses
The European Commission launched a new application called which allows devices to monitor and collect data more efficiently. mHealth can be used on mobile devices, "Personal Digital Assistants", smart watches and other body-worn devices or implants.


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EV startup Evelozcity renamed Canoo
The Californian e-mobility startup Evelozcity that is led by former BMW managers (that had a stint over at Faraday) has got a new name: Canoo. They also streamlined their offer and have now announced four electric vehicles all designed for urban life and to be sold on a subscription basis only.
Canoo, formerly Evelozcity, is taking a different approach to traditional carmaking, offering their vehicles exclusively via subscriptions based on blockchain technology. The company claims to be “liberating you from the tyranny of auto ownership,” with an approach based on three main characteristics:
Firstly, Canoo intends on stay asset-lean, using contract manufacturing to outsource production in the U.S. and China. Just this month we reported that the company was looking to contract Magna Steyr as a production partner.
Secondly, Canoo will have no sales network, offering its products directly to customers on a subscription basis using blockchain technology. Since electric powertrains have less need for maintenance than combustion engines, the company has taken some cues from the airline industry and aims to refurbish existing vehicles to keep them up to date throughout the vehicle’s lifecycle. Also, this is a move away from the previous pricing that had positioned the EVs between 35,000 and 50,000 dollars. The new subscription model is entirely open-ended, CEO Stefan Krause told the Verge. Or, it is yet to be defined.
Thirdly, Canoo is developing a “skateboard” architecture, to create the four unique vehicles by using different pods on the skateboard platform. By leveraging the same fixed and flat skateboard, Canoo claims this will reduce R&D costs, efficient production and better use of interior space. This makes sense because skateboard houses the most expensive components of the vehicle.
All four of the Canoo vehicle types (up from an initial three), which they now classify as lifestyle, commuter, ‘last mile’ delivery and ride-hailing, will be based on this platform, which can provide a battery electric range of up to 480 km. All of the vehicles will move away from the traditional three-box car design with separate compartments for engine, passengers and luggage and with autonomous functions in mind.
To implement these plans, Canoo has hired Olivier Bellin as COO, who comes from STMicroelectronics, a Geneva-based semiconductor leader, who was also VP of Supply Chain for California start-up ICON Aircraft. Manufacturing operations will be headed by Clemens Schmitz-Justen, who is a former President of BMW Manufacturing LLC and will be responsible for Canoo’s contract manufacturing strategy.
In mid-April Canoo will gain James Cox, coming from Uber rider App, who will become the company’s CTO, overseeing the company’s digital services including cloud-based customer offerings. Finally, Shi (Time) Aobing has been appointed the head of HR in China and comes from an 11-year stint at SAIC Motor. Time is now responsible for growing the Canoo team in Shanghai since China is the other main focus of Canoo’s operations next to the States.
Canoo intends to launch its first electric vehicle model in the U.S. from 2021 and later in China.
Additional reporting by Nora Manthey.


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Apple toped yet another survey. According to research coming from Opera Software, the iPhoneâ€™s operating system turned out to be the best mobile platform for advertising. The second runner up is the Android operating system.
â€œThe iPhone leads the smartphone OS pack with an average eCPM of $2.85. Though it is closely followed by Android devices (at $2.10). The rest of the mobile phone field is significantly behind.â€
Opera Software is one of the biggest mobile ad publishing enterprises. So far it holds over 9000 customers worldwide and in 2011 has been pushing over $240 million dollars of ad revenue to mobile app publishers all around the globe.
The company explains its findings - the iOS and Android devices are on top due to their popularity among the masses and their intuitive options in usage. Also, the two operating systems feature HTML5 browsers that come in handy in terms of usability.
The survey also takes into account the iPad â€“ a device that has proved to hold a very high eCPM. The eCPM is a measure that helps indicate the level of advertising performance in a gadget.
â€œThe iPad is also achieving significant user adoption in user groups that are highly desirable to advertisers. For example, 40% of physicians own or plan to own an iPad or tablet by the end of 2012, according to Nielsen projections.â€
Source: State of the Mobile Advertising report
Source2: Apple's iOS most effective mobile advertising platform, report says


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Microsoft today released its new features to the user version, after almost a year testing this tool in "preview" mode. Microsoft Teams is now available for free personal use among friends and family. In this way, enhance your capabilities to compete with Zoom or Google Meets, something that the Redmond company had already firmly considered in the spring of 2020.
The service itself is almost identical to the Microsoft Teams used by companies, according to The Verge and will allow people to chat, make video calls and share calendars, locations and files in a simple way. In addition, Microsoft continues to offer the world the free 24-hour video calls that it introduced in preview in November.
Among the news announced today, Microsoft will impose 60 minute limits for group calls of up to 100 people, and will hold 24 hours for individual calls. Although the preview was initially released on iOS and Android, Microsoft Teams for personal use now works on web, mobile and desktop applications.
With these novelties aimed at users and families, with features beyond companies, Microsoft fulfills that dream that has been dragging on for a long time, in which it wanted Teams to be much more than an application to talk with co-workers, and that transcend the realm of friends and family as is WhatsApp.
Microsoft remains committed to Skype despite betting on Teams
Microsoft also allows personal Teams users to activate their "Together" mode or together, a function that uses Artificial Intelligence to segment the faces and shoulders of the participants and place them together with other people in a virtual space. Skype got this same feature in December.
Remember that for the consumer, Microsoft has Skype. Last year when it released the Teams preview for all users, the company said that he was "fully committed to Skype". However, the rise of Zoom and Teams itself during the months of absolute lockdown due to the pandemic, put on the table that the traditional Skype did not seem as relevant among users, as had been seen before.
In order to try Microsoft Teams for personal use, you can download the apps for iOS, Android, or desktop, or just head over to Teams on the web and use it without downloading any programs to your computer.
At the same time, since March 2020, when it reached more than 44 million daily active users for Teams, Microsoft has been careful to announce news for make this video calling service attractive to users, in a highly competitive market.


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Brickworld is taking a new approach to tshirts this year and we don’t want anyone to be caught off-guard. The 2017 tshirt featuring the annual artwork is available as a pre-order item only this year. There will be other Brickworld tshirts available at the show. But, the artwork tshirt has always been a special print job to get it to look right. So, we wanted to make it something that only the registrants could get. The other Brickworld tshirts will be awesome too and you might want one of those. They will only be available at the show though, not through preorder.
The 2017 tshirt with artwork is shown here. So, don’t miss out if you want one. Preorder it before May 16th.


text: Gregory Lyons, a senior analyst at digital marketing firm iCrossing, ran the numbers based on Facebook’s past growth and found that Facebook will probably hit the milestone in August 2012. Currently, it has 800,000 users. He found that Facebook initially grew at an exponential rate, but then went through a slow down in progress, which caused it to grow more linearly. The slow down was a result of the United States and the United Kingdom tapping out at 49 and 47 percent of the population respectively. New signups from those countries have “slowed or stopped”.


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Halloween signifies trick or treating, visits to haunted houses, and spooky parties. But this year, the holiday will be a lot different. The age of social distancing has limited the activities that children can join. Gone are the days spent knocking on doors to ask for candy or playing games at spooky amusement parks. Fortunately, […]
The post How Local Businesses Can Celebrate Halloween Amid Covid-19 appeared first on .


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Africa, home to a population of 1.4 billion, is still underserved with regards to healthcare in most of the continent. According to the WHO, the continent carries 25% of the world’s disease burden, but the share of global health expenditures is less than 1%. This will be further affected by the fact that Africa’s population is growing and is expected to nearly double to reach 2.5 billion people from 2021 to 2050. Simultaneously, the number of people aged 60 years and older is projected to reach 67 million by 2025 and 163 million by 2050. Thus, an increasing number of people are living with chronic diseases and disability, increasing the demand for a variety of health services, reported by VEDP.
Africa’s burden of disease has historically been related to communicable diseases, which account for two thirds of the total disease burden. However, non-communicable diseases are rising around Africa. A World Bank report estimates that by 2030 non-communicable diseases will cause more deaths in Africa than communicable diseases.
Due to population growth, the changing nature of burden of disease, and the need to decrease the gap between demand for and access to quality healthcare for all, the market is growing and enforced by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). The AfCFTA has been put into force on January 1, 2021 forming the continent into one common market, presents a long view on standardization toward health in trade policies and programs and will lead to an increase in integration between African nations and eventually will create a more sustainable business ecosystem to serve the great population.
Estimated by Zurcom and VEDP, by 2030, Africa will present 14% of health and wellbeing business opportunities, only second to North America holding 21% of the opportunities. The African market provides opportunities in various subsectors, ranging from pharmaceuticals and medical devices, digital health, health services, infrastructure including hospital architecture and management systems, as well as skills development and training.
The African healthcare market will be worth $259 billion and South Africa will remain one of the biggest healthcare markets in Africa. Currently, South Africa has around 522 public pharmacies and 2206 retail & courier pharmacies as well as 700+ public and private hospitals.
HEALTHCARE MARKET IN SOUTH AFRICA
The total healthcare market is projected to reach a value of US$37bn by 2022 and US$47.1bn by 2027, Fitch Solutions reported. Total healthcare spending in South Africa was about USD 51.1 billion in 2019. Despite this level of spending, access to quality healthcare is limited.
In south Africa, the public sector provides healthcare for 80% of the population and accounts for approx. 48% of total health care spending. The private sector provides healthcare for 20% of the population and accounts for approx. 50% of total healthcare spending, while the remaining 2% is provided by non-governmental organizations.
The private sector delivers high quality healthcare but is also some of the most expensive in the world. There are around 314 private hospitals and day clinics which have over 34,000 beds in South Africa.
PHARMACEUTICAL SECTOR IN SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa remains the largest pharmaceutical market in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its prescription drug market is valued at approximately $3.0 billion (Fitch Solutions), which equates to 88.7% of the total market in value terms but will drop in value due to prevailing market conditions. Domestic production meets around 60% of pharmaceutical demand. The bulk of domestic production involves the finishing of imported raw materials and semi-finished drugs. Local producers are used as a base for distribution to most of Sub-Saharan Africa. The multinational companies either import their products or they sign agreements with manufacturers within South Africa using their relatively modern manufacturing facilities to formulate and package products for them. Drugs are mostly imported with main supply from India, Germany, United States, and France.
MEDICAL DEVICES IN SOUTH AFRICA
Consumables: This sector includes bandages and dressings, suturing materials, syringes, needles, catheters, etc. estimated at $240 million in 2019 by Fitch Solutions. There is some local manufacturing, but over 90% is imported. Major suppliers are the United States, China, India and Mexico.
Diagnostic Imaging: Valued at an estimated $192 million (Fitch Solutions), Germany and the United States are the leading suppliers in this market (20% market share each). Other players include Japan, China, Netherlands, and the UK.
Orthopedics and Prosthetics: Valued at $ 164 million (Fitch Solutions), practically all products in this sector are imported, mainly from the United States (40%) and Switzerland.
Dental: Projected growth in this market will be muted, 2.9% in dollar terms from 2019 – 2024. The dental market is currently valued at around $37 million (Fitch Solutions). Over 90% of products in this market are imported, mainly from the United States and Germany (30% each). Smaller suppliers include Switzerland and China. There are some local manufacturers that supply dental instruments, supplies and implants.
Patient Aids: Worth approximately $163 million in 2019 (Fitch Solutions), this category includes portable aids, such as hearing aids and pacemakers, and therapeutic appliances like respiratory apparatus and mechanotherapy. More than 95% of this market is imported. The United States supplies around 25% and other main suppliers include China, Germany, and Switzerland. Growth will be dampened by current economic conditions.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ITALIAN COMPANIES
With a public and rapidly growing private healthcare sector, South Africa has one of the most dynamic health sectors in the world. This generates many opportunities for Italian companies, where they can offer innovative technologies to meet healthcare needs.
In the public sector, despite the underdeveloped nature of Diagnostic Imaging market, there is great need for MRI and PET scanners, radiotherapy products, and other diagnostic imaging products.
The private healthcare sector presents more opportunities for high-tech healthcare products and services. There is a growing market Surgical technology, particularly in the private sector, for advancements in surgical technology, such as robotic-assisted surgery, that positively impact surgical outcomes.
In addition, around 15% of the South Africans are either diabetic or pre-diabetic. This is a significant health issue and diabetes is the second most common cause of death in the country. That is, Diabetes Technology, equipment and medication are in high demand and the market offers opportunities to explore.
All in all, expected economic and demographic growth means that African countries provide an ideal environment for healthcare exporters of goods and services to forge strategic partnerships. In South Africa, healthcare is faced by serious challenges presenting an opportunity for constructive engagement by companies delivering healthcare products and services.


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We’ve heard what California’s major theme parks, including Disneyland, had to say in response to California Governor Newsom’s theme park reopening guidelines. Now, we’re hearing from local business owners who are calling these guidelines the “worst possible outcome.”
Speaking to KCAL 9 News, Paul Sanford, chief executive officer of Wincome Hospitality, which owns the Anaheim hotel, said the concern now is not Disneyland, but the city of Anaheim. Sanford is also worried about revenue for the city, that mostly comes from Disneyland Resort, saying;
“Over 50% of the general fund for the city of Anaheim, the residents of Anaheim, that pay police and fire and all the city services, over 50% comes from the resort. So, how is this thing, on a macro level, how is the city going to survive to lose 50% of its budget?”
KCAL 9 News also interviewed Mike Arfan, owner of Kamel Shuttle in Anaheim. Afran called the governor’s decision the “nail in the coffin,” adding;
“Today, when the news broke, my jaw dropped and I just couldn’t believe that we’re being told that we may not open again until 2021, let alone six to nine maybe 12 months into 2021.”
Kamel Shuttle had to cut its staff by 98% due to the dramatic drop in business following the COVID-10 closures. Arfan estimates he could potentially be shut down for a year and a half. He went on to question the reporter, asking, “Who can survive that?”
The pandemic has hit the hotel and retail industry hard, but it has been extremely severe for businesses surrounding the Disneyland Resort. Many of these businesses, the hotels, the gift shops, and restaurants rely almost entirely on the tens of thousands of tourists who visit Disneyland daily.
Just last week, before yesterday’s announcement from the governor, Ernie Badalian spoke to Spectrum News 1 and expressed concern for his business. Badalian is 95-year-old and owns the Tropicana and Camelot Inn & Suites, right outside of Disneyland Resort.
The hotel owner said he misses hearing and seeing the Disneyland Monorail going by across the street, as well as the crowds of excited people on their way to Disneyland.
Badalian, who has owned the Tropicana since 1959, told Spectrum News 1, “It’s dead.” Going on to say, “There’s nobody here. It’s like a funeral. This is nothing like anything that I have experienced in my whole life.”
Tropicana Inn General Manager Greg Eisenman said on any given night, more than 10,000 guests would stay in the hotels in this part of the resort district neighborhood, not including the thousands of more visitors eating at the restaurants or shopping at the retail stores. This part of town employed about 8,500 workers, Eisenman said.
Eisenman told the news station,
“If we don’t get any reopening plans soon, we will be forced to shut down and lay off our entire staff of 90 employees including me. We were living off the PPP [Paycheck Protection Program] money, but that money will be gone by the next payroll on the 16th.”
The hotel manager worried that if Disneyland would not be allowed to reopen, and remain closed, the writing would be on the wall for him and his business.
Dara Maleki and his family have been apart of the resort district community for four decades. They own three gift shops and is the founder and CEO of the Pizza Press chain. In recent weeks, Maleki made the extremely difficult decision to close two of his 3 gift shops. While Pizza Press, just across the street from Disneyland, remains open, Maleki says revenue is down 90%.
He told Spectrum News 1,
“This is the first time in 40 years that we are seeing just absolute devastation to a community that has long been held as bullet-proof. There is real hurt out there. It just feels like the theme park industry in the state is being unfairly punished.”
In 2019, the Disneyland Resort brought in 18.6 million visitors, an average of more than 51,000 visitors a day, according to the Themed Entertainment Association, an industry group for professionals in the theme park industry. Unfortunately, Anaheim may not see those numbers again for years.
Almost all of the local businesses say all of the PPP money is running out, as well as other grant money. California’s statewide eviction moratoriums are being lifted, leaving small business owners to essentially fend for themselves.
Disney has vowed to continue working until the Disneyland Resort reopens. Under Gov. Newsom’s unrealistic tiered system, that could be next Summer at the earliest.


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Thank you Powder Magazine. Nelson’s Ski Town Throwdown title is the jumping off point for more glowing words about the area in one of the world’s largest media titles.
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times on-line travel section featured a story headlined “Canada: BC region may be the best ski place you never heard of.” Written by Times travel writer Jay Jones, the piece was part of his weekly blog on Canadian travel destinations.
“Ski enthusiasts looking for someplace new and exciting may want to take a serious look at the Kootenay Lake region of British Columbia, Canada,” Jones writes. “Some of North America’s finest skiing can be found just outside the Victorian community of Nelson, nestled along the west arm of the lake in the Selkirk Mountains in southeastern British Columbia.”
The story goes on to mention the Powder Magazine Throwdown win earned in a Facebook competition that put Whitewater and Rossland’s Red Mountain on top after months of voting. Baldface Lodge, the town’s charm and its summer attractions are also in the mix.
Jones’ blog came about after he received a press release from Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism.
“We sent out a press release to media across Canada sharing our many, many accolades, using the Best Ski Town as the attention grabbing header and leading people then to all the other great awards we have won over the years,” explains Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism executive director Diana Ducs. “We also focused the press release on how we are more than a great ski town, but a cultural, shopping, dining, health and wellness and outdoor destination that is also beyond ordinary in the spring, summer and fall.
“The intent of the press release was not only to get it reprinted, but to get journalists aware of and interested in the area, in hopes they would make a special trip, one day soon, and write about all there is to do and see in the Nelson and Kootenay Lake area.”
Jones did not visit Nelson, but his descriptions of the area are still very enticing.
“Given the setting on Kootenay Lake in the heart of a mountain range, Nelson is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream,” he writes.
Ducs says there has been more buzz from bigger media outlets about the press release and Throwdown win.
“Edmonton and Calgary recently posted about our area,” she says. “Westjet’s Up
Magazine, Ski Magazine, Westworld, Northwest magazine are a couple other journalists that picked up these accolades and will hopefully be running articles in the future.”
Nelson was featured in the LA Times back in October, 2011 in a glowing feature that was included in the print edition.
The latest piece will not be featured in the print edition of the LA Times, but the blog post gets “tens of thousands” of hits per post. Find the LA Times piece by clicking here.


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Investors are closely watching the change of leadership at Container Store Group Inc. (NYSE: TCS). The company is set to formally promote current COO, Melissa Reiff, to the position of CEO on July 1. She will replace Kip Tindell, who is stepping down after serving as CEO of TCS since the inception of the company in 1978. Reiff will be taking over at a time when TCS is modernizing its in-store communications system.
Will Reiff help set Container Store Group Inc. (NYSE: TCS) on profitability path?
Container Store Group Inc. (NYSE: TCS) has been a source of disappointment for investors in the recent years as sales continue to shrink and the bottom-line weakens. But it remains to be seen whether a change of guard will reverse the current trend. Reiff, who is set to take over the reins, is a veteran of the company. She joined TCS back in 1995 as VP of sales and marketing. In 2003, she was promoted to EVP of stores before adding another title as president of the company in 2006. In 2013, she earned another promotion that made her the COO of TCS.
But Reiff will be welcome by a full in-tray as she takes the CEO desk. Investors are expecting her to immediately put a stop to the sales decline and begin to steer the company toward long-term profitability. In its F4Q2015, Container Store Group Inc (NYSE: TCS) posted revenue of $232.1 million, indicating a slight improvement from $224.3 million in the like quarter a year earlier. The revenue also slightly topped the consensus estimate of $230.5 million. But it came on the back of a disastrous F3Q2015.
Although F4Q2015 EPS loss of $0.20 was in-line with the consensus estimate, TCS’s bottom-line has been deteriorating in the recent years.
With shares of TCS trading significantly below the IPO price, it appears there will be no honeymoon for Reiff in her new position as CEO.
In a move that is expected to bring more efficiency in store operations, Reiff is taking over the reins at a time when Container Store Group Inc. (NYSE: TCS) has embarked on a process of modernizing its stores. The company inked a deal with Theatro to help it replace its walkie-talkie gadgets for staff communications with wearable devices for more efficient and faster in-store communication. The wearable will be issued to 3,000 employees in 70 store locations.


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Posts Tagged ‘The Biggest Loser’
by John Stodder Published: June 22, 2012
Tags: Advertising, Anheuser-Busch, attention, Budweiser, Communication, digital natives, Don Draper, Facebook, Fast Company, Foursquare, Mad Men, marketing, Mattel, Media, millennials, networking, Procter & Gamble Co., social media, Technology, The Biggest Loser, Twitter, zenith
In the era of the Internet, social media and the digital video recorder, companies have lost much of their power, as electronics have given consumers the power to avoid advertising.
We are obsessed with weight-loss. Television shows such as NBC’s “The Biggest Loser”, support groups like Weight Watchers, diet pills and appetite suppressants, new gyms opening on every corner and even iPhone apps that promise to help users get into shape are all feeding our fascination with weight and the quickest way to lose it. [...]
By Kristen D’Andrea Dan Perlowitz is the father of six children ranging in age from 1 to 18. When his daughter was born last year, he realized he needed to address his weight issues if he was going to keep up with her. “I wanted to be around long enough to enjoy her,” said the [...]